Paul Anderson, founder of ProLango was interviewed by KIRO’s Frank Shiers last night. (Listen in at the 24:00 mark) One of the key questions that Frank asked Paul was:

Frank Shiers: “What is one piece of advice that you can give to a job seeker?”

Paul Anderson:“Leave you behind.”

Frank Shiers:“What’s that mean?”

Paul Anderson: “Don’t go in looking what can I get out of this. Go in with what needs can I identify that I can become a resource to. If a employer has a need, show how you can solve it. Don’t go in saying here’s who I am, here’s my background, here’s my experience, here’s my education, at the end of the day none of that matters. It’s all about their needs and what can you do for them.”

Frank Shiers: “I know what this is, it’s need satisfaction selling.”

While Frank understands this, I don’t think most people get this. It’s totally about what are the needs and how can they be solved. I think that some employers like myself are sitting there thinking why don’t people get that? I bet some employers are also looking to solve problems but they haven’t even created a job description yet. It’s the smart job seeker listening keenly to understand what is important to the employer. I would create a job for someone that could solve my needs. I bet some of the best jobs are the one’s where the job description hasn’t been written yet. By the time the job description is written it’s already too late and there are hundreds of applicants.

Paul next Career Mixer is Monday, April 5 from 6-9pm at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Bellevue.